PMD: Yellow Rescue Team
by animatedrose
Summary: Katie has been having repeated dreams of a Pikachu being attacked by a Houndoom and its pack. When she goes into the forest, she discovers the dream to be real and is turned into a Piplup upon interfering. Joining up with the Pikachu and others in a disaster-torn world, Katie searches for the answers to her questions. Is she really a human or has she been a Piplup the whole time?
1. Chapter 1: Dreams Do Come True

TheTalesOfFlameFan requested that I post this story here, along with a few others. To honor that request, I have chosen to do so.

This story was made when PMD2 was only just being revealed in Japan, so it's sort of a PMD1 1/2 thing I did. The beginning part was based on a real dream I had a few years ago when I first started this story.

I only have the first two chapters and half of the third chapter completed. I will post the first two chapters here. Maybe I'll get re-inspired to finish the third chapter later?

I hope you like it, TheTalesOfFlameFan! Enjoy!

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Yellow Rescue Team

Chapter 1: Dreams Do Come True

"_YAAAH!" a voice screamed._

_Bird Pokemon shot out from their hiding places in the treetops of the forest, cawing in alarm. Leaves and grass fluttered in the air as the autumn foliage was disturbed by the scuffle. A single Houndoom and a pack of five or six Houndour were growling in a clearing, barks of laughter escaping a few of them. The Houndoom smacked a paw forward._

_A badly-injured Pikachu was sent tumbling into the center of the canine Pokemon's ring of thugs. He lay on his right side, ears pressed together close to his head. He was panting heavily and blood streamed from the claw marks he had gained, staining his golden fur a bright scarlet. His eyes were firmly closed and he was trembling, trying hopelessly to play dead._

"_Get up, vermin," the Houndoom growled._

"…" _The Pikachu tried to still his trembling limbs, failing miserably._

"_I said get up!"_

"_YAAAH!" the Pikachu screamed._

_The Houndoom had sunk his fangs into the yellow mouse's neck, picking him up from the leaf litter that covered the grassy ground. The canine shook him roughly, receiving another scream of pain. Houndoom shook him side to side, up and down. Shaking him up, the canine threw the Pikachu down with as much force as he could muster. He hit the ground with a satisfying 'thud' and remained motionless._

_Silence reigned the forest for a moment. "Is he dead, boss?" one of the Houndour asked, nudging the Pikachu. "He ain't moving."_

"_He's playing," another Houndour said. "I say we finish him off now. He's not much fun to play with anymore."_

"_I agree," Houndoom chuckled. "Time to end this game,"_

_As the canine raised the claws of his right paw, the Pikachu opened his right eye partway. "No…" His voice was inaudible, though. None of his tormentors heard him._

"_Now die!" The claws came down upon the Pikachu and blood stained the grass red. A loud scream tore through the forest, following by the howls of laughter belonging only to the canines._

"AAAAH!"

The raven-haired girl sat up quickly in bed, gasping for breath and clutching her covers to her chest tightly. Sweat ran down her face, followed soon by tears. She lowered her head and trembled. _That dream again,_ she thought. _It's that damn dream again. It's been two months, for crying out loud! Why do I keep having that dream?_

"Katie, are you okay? I thought I heard screaming." It was her mother.

The girl, Katie, look toward the door. "I'm fine, mom. I just had a bad dream, that's all."

"The same one?"

"…Yeah,"

"We really should do something about that, dear. My doctor has told me reoccurring dreams can be a sign of events to come. Maybe this is just one of those dreams."

"You mean I'm going to see a Pikachu mauled by a Houndoom and a pack of Houndour?" Katie asked. "I'm not even _in_ the dream, mom!"

"Maybe you're a bystander, dear. Now come downstairs once you're dressed. Breakfast is ready." The footsteps faded away, signaling her mother's descent down the stairs.

Stepping out from under the covers, a shiver ran through her as her bare feet touched the hardwood floor. Immediately jumping to the rug placed in the center of her room, she rubbed her arms to warm herself up. Pulling the drawers of her dresser open, she grabbed her clothes and walked to the bathroom to get dressed.

"Stupid dream," she grumbled, pulling the nightgown over her head and slipping on her shirt. "If this is supposed to be an event, then make it happen already! I don't need to keep seeing that Pikachu die every time I close my eyes!"

Stomping downstairs, she snatched some toast and opened the front door. "Dear, where are you going?" her mother asked.

"A walk," Katie replied. "Dad, can I take Blaze with me?"

"Your father left early this morning and took Blaze to work with him," her mother replied. "You can take Shocker with you, though. Just keep a tight grip on his leash, okay?"

"Deal! Shocker, come on, boy!" Katie called. An over-excited Electrike sped out of the living room, leash in his mouth, begging to go outside. After putting his leash on, Katie walked out the door with him. "Bye, mom! See you in a few hours!"

"Be sure to come back for lunch!" her mother called.

"Right!"

She jogged down the sidewalk and started jogging toward the forest on the edge of the neighborhood, Shocker pulling her along in his excitement. The forest was home to many Grass and Bug-type Pokemon, making it the perfect spot for beginning trainers to test their skills. Katie wasn't all that interested in Pokemon and refused to go on a journey. These odd dreams were only adding to her dislike of most Pokemon.

Katie stopped once she reached the edge of the forest. Rumor had it that a few children had vanished within the forest a couple years ago. Nobody found any trace of the missing kids and blamed the resident Ninetales for the kidnappings, hunting it down and eventually killing it. The Ninetales placed a curse on its assailants and all of them died within days of each other. The kids still remained missing.

"Okay," she muttered. "We'll do a quick run down the old trails and then go visit Derek's place. You'd like that, Shocker, wouldn't you?"

"Trike!" Shocker barked.

"I thought so. Let's go!"

The pair ran into the forest, jogging down the trails that were made centuries ago by their ancestors. Once they neared the heart of the forest, Katie noticed something. The newly-bloomed flowers were withered and dead. Fallen leaves shifted beneath her shoes, their green color gone and replaced by reds, browns, oranges, and golds. The forest looked as it would in autumn.

"But it's spring, not fall," she muttered. _This is just like my dream,_ she realized. _My dream took place in a forest during autumn. Could the event be happening now? But that doesn't explain this. Why has the season changed here?_

Then she heard the barking, along with a loud scream. Without thinking, she dropped Shocker's leash and ran further down the trail. A thick veil of fog appeared ahead but she carried on, racing into it. The Electrike barked and tried to follow, only for the fog to mysteriously vanish. Katie was gone…

Katie kept running, listening to the screaming and the barking. She felt as if she was shrinking but she ignored the feeling. It was just the fog. She tripped, falling on her hands and knees. She crawled along nonetheless, the sounds growing louder. She was nearly there.

Finally, she peered out of a bush just as the fog lifted at long last. The Houndoom from her dream tossed the Pikachu to the ground, a loud 'thud' sounding. The Pikachu fell motionless but Katie could see him breathing. After a few seconds, one of the Houndour nudged him and…spoke?

_Pokemon can't talk in real life! It's impossible!_ Katie mentally cried.

Then the Houndoom lifted his paw, sharp claws glinting in the fading light of the sun. "Time to end this game," he growled.

The Pikachu opened his right eye. "No…" he whispered faintly.

"No," Katie said softly. "No… No! Stop!" She burst out of the bushes and ran toward them, faintly aware that she was smaller than the canine Pokemon. Jumping to tackle the Houndoom, she saw something glinting in front of her face.

"Now d—YAAAH!" the Houndoom howled, leaping away as something sharp stabbed into his right side. His pack gathered around him, fear grasping them as their leader retreated back a few paces.

Katie landed in front of the Pikachu, red blood staining the sharp point on the front of her face. Spitting out the blood that got into her mouth, she glared at the Houndoom. "Leave him alone!" she cried.

Recovering from the shock of being attacked, the Houndoom pulled back his lips to show his razor-sharp teeth. "You and what army? Sure, you have the advantage over us in element but in the size and numbers department, we win paws down!"

_Element? Size?_ Katie repeated mentally. _What does that mean? Humans are bigger than these bozos…but why am I suddenly so much smaller than them?_

"Run…away…" Pikachu groaned.

Katie turned to him. "Why should I? They'll kill you!"

"They'll kill anyone who gets in their way. Get out before they kill you, too." Pikachu begged. "They're right. You don't stand a chance!"

"Just watch!" Katie barked, turning to face the canines. "You think you guys are so tough? Try fighting against me and I'll show you who's boss! There's a reason humans are at the top of the food chain!"

"Why does that matter? Do you think you're a human, squirt?" Houndoom growled.

"Think? I know I am! I'm human!" Katie cried.

The pack fell silent. Then laughter broke out. They were practically howling to the heavens with laughter. "Human? You? What a laugh!"

"It's true!" Katie said.

"Did you hear that, boss? That Piplup thinks she's human!" a Houndour laughed.

"Maybe she hit her head or something!" another suggested, laughing with him.

"Grrrr! Shut…UP!" Katie screamed.

A nearby Houndour suddenly screamed, leaping away as water soaked his backside. Houndoom and the others instantly backed up as water shot at them. Opening her eyes, Katie saw water erupting from her mouth…at least, she was pretty sure the pointy thing was her mouth. It looked more like a bird's beak, though.

Then she came across a problem. She couldn't breathe! Choking, the beak closed and she stumbled backward. Crashing into the Pikachu's side, she regained the ability to breathe. Then she screamed as the Pikachu electrocuted everything nearby, reacting to her hitting his injuries.

"Retreat!" Houndoom shouted. He and his pack fled at top speed. They were gone in moments.

The electricity ended, causing Katie to collapse on her stomach. "What was that for?" she coughed, smoke emerging from her beak.

"For hitting my injuries!" the Pikachu snapped, painfully getting to his feet. "You shouldn't have done that. Now he's gonna come after both of us!"

"Well, someone had to help you! Maybe now those dumb dreams will finally stop!" Katie growled, sitting up. "Ow, my head! That hurt!"

"What do you expect? Electricity hurts water. It's basic knowledge." Pikachu said.

"That's what I don't get. I'm not a Pokemon! I'm human!" Katie complained. "And why did that mutt call me a Piplup?"

"Because you _are_ one."

"No, I'm not!"

"Then I'll prove it. The river's this way, Piplup."

"It's Katie!"

"Fine, Katie. My name's Chu. Don't you dare make fun of me for it!" the Pikachu growled.

"Why would I?"

"Everyone else does it."

"Well, I'm not 'everyone else', Chu. I'm me."

"Whatever," The two continued on in silence until they reached the river. Splashing water on his injuries, the Pikachu pointed to the water. "Look! You're a Piplup, okay?"

"For the last time," Katie stomped to the riverside. "I'm not a Piplup!" Then she looked into the water. She was speechless. "…I'm a Piplup."

"Told you so," Chu said.

"I'm telling you! I'm human!" Katie cried. "Please, you have to believe me! It had to be that fog that appeared just before I rescued you. You saw it, right?"

"I didn't see any fog, Katie. I just saw you run out of the bushes recklessly." Chu replied. "Those Houndour were right. You must've hit your head on something."

"I'm not lying!" Katie fell down and began to cry. "I was human! This must be a dream! It has to be…"

"Uh… Are you okay?" Chu asked hesitantly, resting a paw on her shoulder.

"Do I look okay?" Katie nearly screamed, glaring at the Pikachu. Then it hit her. "This is _your_ fault!"

"What?"

"I kept seeing you and those dogs in my dream!" Katie cried. "I kept wanting to help you but I couldn't! And now that I finally have, I'm a Piplup! What the hell did you do to me?"

"Hey! Do I look like Arceus to you?" Chu barked, clearly ticked off. "I didn't do anything to you! Maybe you just dreamed that you were human, Katie. Whatever the hell is going on in your crazy head, leave me out of it!"

Katie fell silent. _Is he right? Did I just dream I was human? No, I had to be human! But…what if he's right?_ She looked at the ground. _I'm lost in a world that I don't know anything about. I've turned into a Piplup…or was I one all along? This so confusing!_

Chu noticed the look on her face and groaned. "Look… I'm sorry I was so harsh. I just… I just don't like girls, okay? It's complicated. If you want, I can get you to the next town and see if we can find your home. Until then you can…stay with me."

"Huh?" Katie looked up, having only heard the word 'home'. "You know where I live?"

"No, but you can stay with me until we find your parents." Chu muttered, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "We can put up signs and have the rescue teams search for your parents."

"Okay," Then Katie noticed something. "Is something wrong with your eye, Chu?"

"Eh?" Chu's left eye was firmly closed, a single bloody cut running vertically from his eyebrow to his cheek. Turning away, he muttered something.

"Does it hurt?"

"A little," Chu admitted. "But it's nothing I can't handle! Nurse Chansey will take care of it when we get back to Pokemon Square."

"Okay,"

"So…this way, Katie. Stay close, though. There are lots of hostile Pokemon running around." Chu warned. "If we get in a fight, let me handle it."

Katie nodded. She and Chu reentered the forest, keeping a constant eye out for hostile Pokemon. Keeping to the beaten trails, the formerly-human Piplup started to realize just how small she really was. Even the bushes were bigger than her! Feeling even more vulnerable than before, she reached out her flipper-like arms and grabbed Chu's tail.

The Pikachu just barely managed to stop himself from shocking her. It was an instinct thing for him. As a Pichu, larger Pokemon tended to grab and pull at his tail to tease him. After realizing he could shock them with his tail, he used it to keep larger Pokemon away from him. Unfortunately, it didn't work against Houndoom and his pack…

Trapped in his thoughts, he didn't see the rogue Pidgey coming until Katie screamed. Snapping to attention, he prepared to attack when a cream blur knocked the bird Pokemon aside. A quick flash of claws and blood spattered onto the ground. A single bite and the Pidgey fell limp, dead.

"Great Arceus," Chu muttered. "Don't sneak up on people like that!"

Katie shivered, eyes locked on the dead body. _Why?_ she thought.

A feline appeared from behind the Pidgey's body, feathers and blood sticking to her furry face. A golden coin was on her forehead and her whiskers twitched, eyes glittering with mischief. It was a Meowth, a female at that. Retracting her claws, she stepped away from the body and washed her face off with a paw.

"Sorry about that," she purred. "But someone had to stop this bird. Obviously, you weren't going to, so I had to."

"Who is she?" Katie asked. _I hope she doesn't eat penguins._

The Meowth's ears twitched and she looked directly at Katie. "Who's your friend, Chu?" she asked. "You can tell me. I won't bite…much."

"This is Katie," Chu introduced. "She got lost in the woods and hit her head. She claims to be human, but we all know better."

"Indeed, we do." The Meowth giggled, her laughter sounding like a wind chime. "My name is Sabrina. Pleasure to eat—I mean meet—you."

"Enough cat puns, Sabrina. Where's Cassidy? I know she's here with you." Chu accused.

"I'm right here," a clearly bored Charmander said, stepping out from behind a tree. Katie immediately spotted the three parallel scars tearing vertically down her left shoulder. "You need some escorts going home? We'd be happy to help. No tricks, no charge."

"Sure. Whatever," Chu nodded. "I just need to get her home and find her family. She's lost."

"We'd be happy to help," Sabrina volunteered. "We do have connections to some of the best rescue teams out there, as you know. We'll find her family in a jiffy."

"Where's she staying until then?" Cassidy asked.

"Well, I was thinking at our place. Is that okay with you guys?" Chu asked. "It'll probably be for only a few nights."

"Fine by us," Sabrina replied. "I know Michael will agree but Raven's a mystery. I'll talk to Marco and Tim, too. Cassidy, can you handle the Troublesome Trio and their sister?"

"Sure," the Charmander nodded. "It's getting dark. We better go."

"Yeah. Let's move it," Chu agreed.

After walking in silence for a while, Katie finally decided to speak to their new companions. "So, you guys all live together?"

"For the most part, yes. We're all orphans, so the town stuck us together. There's plenty of room, though." Sabrina reassured.

"Most of us join the rescue teams whenever we want to. It's fun," Cassidy added.

"We're here!" Chu said, exiting the forest and entering a small town.

"Wow!" Katie cried.

"What? It's pretty small, if you ask me." Sabrina commented.

"It's huge!" Katie stated. She'd never seen a bigger town in her whole life! _Even if me being a human was a dream, this place is bigger than my human home was!_

"This way, Katie," Chu said, leading her to a large dome-like house that looked like a Kangaskhan. "This is the back of Kangaskhan Storage. Not only does she store items, she cares for us orphans, too. It's a tough job and she's the one who does the best at it."

Entering the house, they were greeted by a large female Kangaskhan. "Where have you kids been all day? I was worried sick! Oh dear, what happen to you, Chu?"

"I got in a fight…again." Chu muttered.

"You really shouldn't do that, sweetie. Who's your new friend?" Kangaskhan asked, noticing Katie.

"This is Katie," Chu said. "She got lost in the woods and bumped her head on something. I was thinking we could have the rescue teams look for her parents."

"What a splendid idea, Chu. We'll do that straight away in the morning. Now, let's get Nurse Chansey to care for your wounds, Chu. Sabrina, take Katie and introduce her to everyone while I'm gone."

"Okay! Come on, Katie!" Sabrina grabbed the Piplup's flipper-like hand and pulled her through a door.

Inside were eight other Pokemon. A Minun, Pachirisu, and Electrike were running around, laughing together under the watchful eye of a Plusle. A Murkrow was perched in the rafters above, seemingly ignoring everything around him in favor of silence. A Mudkip was swimming in a pool placed on the left side of the large room while a Growlithe ran through an obstacle course placed on the right side. A Torchic lay fast asleep in one of many nests made of hay, leaves, and grass.

"These are the other guys we have to live with. Those three Electric-types are Tyler the Minun, Trevor the Pachirisu, and Travis the Electrike. The Plusle watching over them is Taylor, Tyler's sister. The Murkrow is Raven, the Mudkip is Michael, and the Growlithe is Marco. Oh yeah, the Torchic is Tim. I think that's everyone," Sabrina said.

"And, as you know, I'm Cassidy and that's Sabrina. The Pikachu is Chu. Introductions are done." The Charmander proceeded toward the nests and collapsed in the one nearest to the Torchic, Tim.

"Sorry about her behavior," the Meowth muttered. "Unlike the rest of us, Cassidy can't even remember her parents. They left her here as an egg."

"That's…terrible," Katie said.

"I know," Sabrina nodded. "At least your parents must be looking for you. You're lucky."

"I guess so," _Do I even have parents here? I must if I was dreaming about being human,_ Katie thought.

"You sleepy?" Sabrina asked.

Katie nodded and allowed the Meowth to lead her to bed. After settling in, Katie closed her eyes. _What will tomorrow be like? Is this all a dream? Or was I dreaming from the beginning?_ After a while, she fell asleep. Katie was unaware of what the future held in store for her. If this was a dream, she definitely wouldn't be waking up anytime soon. Not for a long time…


	2. Chapter 2: The Failed Mission

Chapter 2: The Failed Mission

"_Katie," a gentle voice called. "Katie,"_

"_Who's there?" Katie looked around. She was still a Piplup. The world around her was a mix of many colors, almost like a rainbow. And she was just floating there in the center of it all._

"_Katie," the voice called again._

"_Who are you?" Katie cried. "Come out!"_

_A pale, almost see-through, figure emerged before her. Katie could see a perfect outline of its body but the only color she could see was the rainbow colors of her dream world. The figure looked like a fox with nine tails… Nine tails? Then it hit her._

"_You're the Ninetales that the hunters killed back home. The one blamed for kidnapping those children." Katie whispered._

"_Correct, Katie." The fox dipped her head once. "You are here for a purpose, Katie."_

"_Tell me. Am I human or Pokemon?" Katie asked._

"_You are Pokemon in form but human in heart," Ninetales replied._

"_That doesn't make sense! Which am I?" Katie demanded._

"_That is for you to decide, Katie. But I have a warning for you. Once you start believing that you are one, your memories of the other shall fade."_

"_What does that mean?" Katie asked. "I don't understand! Why am I here? Ninetales?"_

"_Goodbye, Katie," the fox said. "Until the next time we meet,"_

"_Ninetales! Wait! What do you mean? Ninetales?" Katie cried. "Ninetales!"_

"Wake up, Katie! Wake up!"

"Huh?" The Piplup sat up and looked around. "Ninetales? Where is it?"

"Ninetales?" Sabrina repeated. "What's a Ninetales?"

"Isn't that the name of the fox Pokemon that lives up on Mt. Freeze?" the Mudkip, Michael, said.

"Yeah, I think so." Sabrina agreed. "You okay, Katie? You were thrashing around like crazy, almost like you were having a nightmare."

"I'm okay…I think," Katie muttered.

"If you say so," came the bored voice of Cassidy. "Come on, guys. Kangaskhan has just made breakfast and we're going to be late if we don't hurry up."

"Oh yeah! Breakfast!" The Growlithe, Marco, raced out of the room in a flash.

"Come on, Katie. We have to go eat." The Meowth pulled Katie to her feet and headed for the door. "Oh, and Chu's okay. Unfortunately, he's going to have a scar there from now on. Poor guy,"

"…Thanks for telling me that." Katie followed Sabrina as they entered the kitchen.

Kangaskhan smiled upon seeing the Piplup. "Dear, I've already sent out requests to the rescue teams to search for your parents. It might take a while but they'll find your family soon enough."

"What if I don't have a family?" Katie asked.

"My, my. What brought this on?" Kangaskhan asked. "Don't you have parents?"

"I don't know," she replied honestly. "I don't remember,"

"Oh my," Kangaskhan muttered. "…Well, until then, you can stay here! How does that sound?"

"Very kind of you," Katie replied. "Thank you. I'm grateful."

"Then show your gratefulness by eating breakfast, dear." Kangaskhan laughed.

Katie joined the other Pokemon as they ate breakfast, which consisted of a multitude of berries and seeds. Halfway through the meal, Chu finally appeared and sat beside Katie. He ate quietly, not even looking at her. The Piplup remained quiet, afraid that he was mad at her about something.

Once they were through eating, Kangaskhan led them outside to play. Katie noticed the larger Pokemon talking to an Alakazam, a Charizard, and a Tyranitar. "I wonder why they're here," she muttered.

"They're a rescue team."

"AAAH!" the Piplup screamed. Twirling around, she saw Chu standing there. "Don't do that! You scared me!"

"Okay, I'm sorry. Cool it!" Chu growled. "That's Team ACT, one of the teams searching for your parents."

"Oh," Katie said. _If I even have parents in this world,_ she thought.

"Sometimes we get to go on missions with rescue teams," Chu continued. "It's fun and we get to fight a bit, too. Maybe someone will come by and bring a few of us along. After all, you can only have up to three companions with you in a dungeon. And that's not including the size limits of your team."

Katie nodded. "That sounds interesting."

"I guess it is," Chu agreed. "You just have to watch out for the disasters."

"Disasters?"

"Yeah," the Pikachu nodded. "They've been happening a lot lately and for no apparent reason. Some of our parents were killed in the disasters. They're everywhere, apparently. That's why the rescue teams were formed. They save Pokemon from the disasters and are trying to find the source of them."

"Can anyone form a rescue team?" Katie asked.

"Uh… I think so. Why?"

Katie shrugged. "It might be interesting to be on a rescue team. But it would be lonely if it were just me."

"See you, guys!" Sabrina suddenly called.

"Huh? Where are you going?" Katie asked.

"Team Hydro is taking me and Cassidy with them today. I think everyone but you, Tim, and Chu are going today. See you later!" The Meowth quickly ran off in pursuit of an Octillery.

"We're the only ones who don't get to go?" Katie asked, looking at Chu.

"Yeah. Don't worry, though. We'll get to go tomorrow." The Pikachu turned to look at Tim the Torchic. "Hey, Tim! Come meet Katie!"

"Okay!" The orange and yellow chick Pokemon quickly dashed toward them, only to trip over a rock and go rolling past them. He crashed back-first into the short white picket fence. "Oof!"

Katie stifled a giggle. "Are you okay?"

"I think so," the Torchic replied, sitting up and stretching his stubby wings. "Nothing's broken, so I think I'm okay."

"Good," Chu nodded. "This is Katie. Katie, this is Tim."

"Hi," Katie waved slightly.

"Hello there," Tim said. "So, are you an orphan or do you have parents somewhere?"

"I don't really know."

"How can you not know if you have parents?"

"She hit her head on something before I found her, Tim." Chu replied. "She doesn't remember much and thinks she was…human."

"That's…very peculiar. Humans have been dead for many, many centuries. Barely anyone remembers them." Tim explained. "How could you think you were one? Someone your age shouldn't have even heard of them yet."

"How come you know about them then?" Katie demanded. "You aren't much older than me!"

"Being an orphan has its perks," Tim replied. "You can listen in on adult conversations and not get caught because they think you're playing. It's quite funny, actually. You'd be surprised what I've heard and learned since I came here, Katie."

"Sure," Katie muttered.

"For instance, many suspect that the cause of the disasters is—"

"Chu, help! You've gotta help me, Chu!"

"Who's that?" Katie asked, peering over the fence to see a young Riolu running full speed toward the fence.

"That's Rio Lucar Aura, son of two great rescue team leaders." Tim replied. "I wonder what he's here for."

"Rio, what is it?" Chu asked.

The Riolu rested a paw on the fence and gasped for breath. "My parents were caught in a cave-in. You've gotta help me dig them out, Chu. I'm begging you!"

"A rescue team should do that, not me." The Pikachu turned, only to find both Kangaskhan and Team ACT gone. "Where the hell did they go?"

"Chu, please! My parents' lives could depend on it!" Rio begged.

"But…"

"I'll go!" Katie volunteered, hopping over the fence. "If Chu won't, I will."

"I'll come, too!" Tim agreed, jumping over the fence. His foot got caught on the top and flipped him, making him do a face-plant in the grass. Looking up, he spat out the dirt and grass from his mouth. "I'm okay."

"You guys are nuts," Chu said. "We're just kids. What can we do against a cave-in?"

"We can try to help," Katie replied. "Can you show us where it happened?"

"This way!" The Riolu led the way to the forest, Katie quickly following him.

Tim jumped up and ran after them. "Wait for me!"

Chu groaned and shook his head. "I'm gonna regret this." He jumped over the fence and tore after them, trying to avoid crashing into any trees since he was currently keeping his left eye closed to prevent his scar from opening up.

Only moments after they left, Kangaskhan emerged from the orphanage and looked around in shock. "Children? Where are you? Dears? Come out now! Dears?"

Rio came to a stop at the mouth of a cave and led them inside, stopping once they reached a wall of rubble. "They're in there. Please help me dig them out!" Rio begged.

"Of course we will. Tim, help us dig!" Katie called. She started pulling away rocks and debris from the solid wall of rubble in front of them.

"What else would I be doing?" Tim muttered. He tugged at a large rock, freeing it but falling with it to the cave floor. "WAAH!"

Rio was unleashing his Force Palm on the rocks, shattering them and shifting the pebbles before repeating the process. _I'm coming, mom, dad. Just hang in there a bit longer. You'll be out in no time. I promise! Just don't die!_ Tears appeared in the corners of the Riolu's eyes but he wiped them away furiously.

"You guys are getting no where at that pace!" Chu barked.

"Chu! You came after all!" Katie cried.

"Of course I did!" the Pikachu said. "I always help my friends. Now stand aside and watch how the pros do it! Quick Attack!"

He crashed into a large boulder, breaking it straight down the middle. Shaking his head as blood ran from his forehead, the Pikachu nodded at Rio. The Riolu nodded and resumed his assault upon the rocks. The four young Pokemon attacked the rubble with all they had, determined not to give up.

It felt like an eternity before someone discovered them. "Hey, Alakazam! They're in here! Rio's with them, too!"

"Stand aside," Some of the shattered rubble that now blocked the cave entrance was pulled out and tossed aside by a psychic force. Team ACT entered and watched in amazement as the four Pokemon tried to dig through the cave-in. "What are you children digging for?"

"My parents are stuck in here!" Rio cried. "I had to dig them out, so I got my friends and—"

"You should've come directly to Pokemon Square and called a rescue team." Alakazam scolded.

"But—"

"But that is not the point right now. Move aside, all of you. We'll have your parents out in a minute, Rio." Alakazam instructed.

"Okay," The Riolu jumped down and led his friends to the side, allowing the Gold-ranked rescue team to do their work. _Please be okay. Please be okay. Please be okay…_

The last of the rocks were thrown aside, revealing the broken bodies of two Lucario. Rio nearly screamed in sadness and attempted to reach his dead parents, only to be held back by Tyranitar. The Riolu shattered, breaking down into a sobbing, crying mess.

"I'm deeply sorry, Rio," Alakazam apologized. "I think it's time we left. Charizard, you know what to do."

"Right," Charizard nodded. As the others left, he stayed behind in the cave. Opening his mouth, he unleashed a column of flame upon the two bodies. "Rest in peace, you two. You'll be missed."

Alakazam teleported them back to the orphanage, where Kangaskhan scolded and hugged the three missing orphans. After explaining the situation to her, Kangaskhan immediately agreed to take Rio in. Rio Lucar Aura was officially an orphan.

"Thank you very much for bringing them all safely back to me." Kangaskhan said. "I don't know what might've happened if your team hadn't found them, Alakazam. You have my thanks."

"We're only doing our job as a rescue team. It would've been much better had we arrived in time to save Rio's parents. Team Aura shall be missed dearly by the residents of Pokemon Square. At least they died knowing their son was trying to save them." Alakazam muttered. "I pray Rio recovers from this horrible incident. I'll check by in a few days to see how he is. Good night, Kangaskhan."

"Good night, Team ACT." Kangaskhan closed the door and sighed sadly. "Poor Rio,"

In the main room, the Riolu was crying in his new bed. _It's all my fault! If only I had been stronger or got there sooner, my parents wouldn't be dead! I shouldn't have been such a coward… If only I asked a rescue team for help, this wouldn't have happened!_

"Poor kid," Taylor the Plusle said softly. "Shouldn't we help him?"

"I'll…see what I can do," Katie muttered. The Piplup walked over to Rio and sat down beside him, placing a flipper on his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"No," Rio replied, his voice cracked and sounding like a Croagunk's croak. "I'll never be okay. My parents are dead and I couldn't do a thing to stop it."

"You tried, Rio." Katie said gently. "That's what counts."

"You mean I'm supposed to just forget the fact that my parents are dead?" Rio demanded, sitting up instantly and glaring at Katie. "I'm just supposed to keep living without them? I can't do that!"

A loud 'smack' echoed through the room, followed by the 'thud' of Rio hitting the floor. Katie stared in shock as Cassidy stood beside her, right arm held out after striking the Riolu. Rio looked up at the Charmander with confusion and fear. Cassidy simply glared at him.

"…Why?" Rio squeaked.

"You're lucky, you know." Cassidy said coldly. "You're luckier than most of us orphans. Many of us never got to live with our parents as long as you got to. Many of us were abandoned not long after birth for various reasons. And some, like me and Katie, never even saw nor knew our parents. You think you have it bad? How do you think we have it?"

"Cass," Sabrina whispered. "That's enough."

"No! It'll never be enough for him!" Cassidy shouted. "He's just some spoiled little boy who thinks the whole world's going to end because his parents are dead! Well, think again! Life's not fair, it's cruel! Get used to it!" The Charmander turned and stalked away, purposely lashing her tail toward the Riolu as she left.

Rio didn't even flinch when the flame passed within inches of his nose. He was frozen in fear from the impact of those words. Tears appeared in the corners of his eyes, falling without his notice. The cold truth of reality had sunk in at last.

"Rio? Are you okay?" Katie helped the terrified Riolu to his feet, helping him back to his nest. "Maybe you should get some sleep. Things will be better tomorrow."

"Sleep won't bring my mom and dad back. Nothing will…" Rio muttered.

Katie sniffed, sadness welling up in her heart. _Why did Cassidy have to be so cruel?_ she asked herself. But deep down, she already knew the answer. _Because it was the truth._

Rio curled up on his side in his nest, tears still streaming down his face. Closing his eyes, he willed the tears to stop but was unable to sleep. In the end, he finally did fall asleep after a lot of thrashing and rolling around. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get the image of his parents' broken bodies out of his mind.

Katie was unable to eat that night, too worried for Rio. The Piplup went to bed early but was unable to sleep either. _I'm so sorry, Rio._ Rolling over, she finally fell asleep…unaware of the visitor she was going to be seeing.

"_Huh?" Katie looked around the rainbow dream world. "I'm here again?"_

"_Katie,"_

"_Ninetales! Please tell me about these disasters. I want to help stop them!" Katie begged._

"_A friend will be joining you soon, Katie. As for the disasters, you must find me." Ninetales said._

"_Find you? But where are you? Aren't you…dead?" Katie muttered._

"_In your world, yes. In this world, no. Find me and you will find the answers to all the questions you'll ever ask." Ninetales replied. "The Pokemon around you will help you solve the mystery of the disasters, but it's up to you to accept the duty placed upon you."_

"_What duty?"_

"_I must go now. Remember," Ninetales called. "The sake of this world depends on you. Only then will you realize what you truly are."_

"_What? I don't get it. Ninetales? Please tell me! Ninetales!" Katie cried, but the fox Pokemon was gone. "What did you mean, Ninetales? What am I? Human or Pokemon…? Why won't you tell me?"_

"Oof!" Katie rolled out of bed and blinked, waking up. "Well, that didn't get me anywhere."

"Morning, Katie,"

"Huh?" Turning, she saw Rio still in bed. A single red eye was partially opened, watching her. "Morning, Rio. Feeling better?"

"A little bit," the Riolu muttered. "Everyone else woke up and left a while ago. You slept in late."

"What?" Katie yelped, jumping to her feet. "You're kidding!"

"Nope,"

"Shoot!" Katie raced out the door and looked around the fenced-in grassy area. Tim and Chu were the only ones there aside from Kangaskhan. "Aren't you guys going on missions with the rescue teams?"

"Well, yeah." Chu nodded. "But it wouldn't be any fun if you weren't there. You probably would've stayed to care for Rio anyways, right?"

"Maybe," the Piplup admitted.

"Well, is he awake now or is he planning on sleeping in another few hours?" Tim asked. "Most of the day's already gone by and he's still in bed."

"He's recovering from yesterday, Tim. Give him a break!" Katie barked.

"All right! All right!" Tim waved his stubby wings in surrender. "I give!"

"Tim's got a point, though." Chu muttered. "Just wallowing in self-pity won't get Rio anywhere. He's got to accept it and move on if he wants to keep going in life."

"I know," Katie nodded.

Rio finally came out, walking toward the trio. He kept his head down, his steps shaky. Coming to a stop in front of them, he looked up. His red eyes still held sadness but there was something else there now. Courage? Faith? Determination? Something along those lines…

"I…want to keep going in my life." Rio said. "Cassidy is right. I am a spoiled little boy. Now I'm an orphan. I'm sorry about how I acted last night. Can we still be…friends?"

Katie smiled and held out a flipper. "Sure! Why not?"

"Really?" the Riolu asked, staring at the Piplup in shock. "You mean you're not mad at me?"

"Not mad, Rio. We were worried," Chu corrected. "You lost your parents. Of course you're gonna get mad. Hell, I'm sure we all knew you would."

"It's understandable. We've all had to go through it at one point in our lives. Well, except maybe Katie since she has no memory of her family." Tim added. "But that's beside the point. Of course your friendship will be accepted. Everyone needs a few friends in order to survive."

"My parents said the same thing." Rio agreed. "Too bad all my parents' friends in their rescue team are gone. It was fun being on a rescue team."

"Then how about we make our own rescue team? Just us orphans," Katie suggested. "We could go on adventures and save Pokemon and stuff. It would be awesome! And maybe…we can find out how to stop the disasters."

"Really?" Rio cried.

"Get out of here!" Chu barked. "There's no way a bunch of orphans could stop the disasters. It's impossible!"

"Nothing's impossible if you believe," Tim argued. "This might be a very intriguing journey. I'll be happy to accompany you, Katie. I'm sure Cassidy and Sabrina would also be interested."

"Hold on a sec! You're going too far with this thing, Katie!" Chu scolded. "We're just kids! What can we do?"

"Try to stop the disasters and stop others from ending up like Rio and us." Katie replied. "Come on, Chu! Don't tell me that you aren't interested in at least being on a rescue team?"

"Ugh… Fine, I'll join. But only because someone has to watch out for you guys!" the Pikachu growled. "So, should we ask Kangaskhan to register us?"

"Yeah!" the Piplup cried.

The four young Pokemon entered the orphanage to make themselves a rescue team. Unaware to them, a young Eevee with shredded ears was watching them. His fur was brilliant silver and his eyes were blood red. He smirked, showing sharp teeth. "I finally found you…Katie."


End file.
